Renowned jazz clarinetist Dr. Michael White will be featured in a performance with Dana Point’s Sea Coast Symphony on Friday, June 14, at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point.
Born and raised in New Orleans, White is a longtime friend of Capistrano Beach resident and artist Timothy Clark, who painted a portrait of White in 2020. The portrait was displayed in an exhibition at Howard University’s Chadwick Boseman College of Fine Arts, and later acquired by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.
“Michael’s work in adding modern elements to traditional jazz has parallels to my own focus in the visual arts,” Clark wrote in a pamphlet for the Boseman exhibit. “Our spirited discussions over the years on exactly that subject have led to public presentations on the nature of creativity and overarching artistic concepts shared by art and music. Our discussions have also led to a deeply valued friendship.”
Clark first met White 30 years ago, after hearing White’s song “A Wild Man Blues” on the radio, and it esonated with Clark. Later, while in New Orleans, Clark cold-called the musician to ask about his performances and music.
During that phone call, Clark mentioned he was “stuck on a composition,” struggling with the “spacing” in his art. Coincidentally, White remarked he was also stuck on his composition’s “timing.” The two talked through and resolved their composition difficulties, deepening their understanding of the intersection of music and visual art.
Together, the two have given lectures on this intersection, highlighting the similar concepts in both fields, and how experiencing art through a different medium can create unique connections.
Clark recalls receiving a standing ovation after the two gave a lecture at Howard, adding, “when [the students] were all doing that [standing ovation], Michael played a few more things, and everybody in the room started dancing.”
In his portrait of White, Clark aimed to capture that same lively spirit of New Orleans jazz, while accurately depicting White’s essence.
“I hope that people take away [from the portrait] that [Michael] is somebody whose music celebrates life, but he’s also very serious and measured and content,” Clark said.
For instance, Clark deliberately painted the portrait on high-quality, “very thin, delicate paper,” to symbolize the delicacy of relationships and friendships. In addition, Clark painted “an accent that flows [from the bottom] and through his necktie, so that all parts of it follow New Orleans rhythm. There’s rhythms in the painting that celebrate his music and way,” Clark said.
The painting was acquired by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in 2023. To be displayed in that gallery, the subject of the painting must have “made significant contributions to the history, development, and culture of the people of the United States.”
White has toured the globe, performing at venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, and recording with artists including Paul Simon and Bob Dylan, spreading the music of New Orleans worldwide. Additionally, White has been recognized with the French government’s Chevalier of Arts and Letters Award and the National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellowship Award.
“[Michael’s] life work has been to preserve those early sounds and concepts. … The purpose of a musician is to take it into their era, and he is trying to preserve the beginnings, and he’s done it really beautifully,” said Marriott Clark, Timothy’s wife, who manages behind-the-scenes operations of his art business.
Clark emphasizes that both music and visual art should not be experienced just in the brain, eyes or ears, but throughout the entire body. Even from his first listen, this is how Clark has understood White’s music.
“Good New Orleans jazz goes to your whole body. It goes to your feet, and that’s why we want people to go to the Sea Coast Symphony,” Clark said.
White will play “St. Louis Blues” by W.C Handy and “Summertime” by George and Ira Gershwin with the symphony on June 14, at 7:30 p.m. in St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church, located at 33926 Calle la Primavera in Dana Point. Tickets will be available at the door, or can be purchased online at seacoastsymphony.com.